Evaluating Behaviourism Aim: To compare types of conditioning within the behaviourist approach

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist and geologist, best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors. Human behaviour is in response to our struggle to continue the species.

The Psychodynamic Approach - Freud The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different structures of the personality.

Keyword: Environmental determinism: the idea that all our behaviour and past experiences have been conditioned. Everything we do is the sum total of our reinforcement history.Example: Reinforcement: a consequence of behaviour that increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. Example:

Pop Quiz! 1. What is one ethical issue surrounding behaviourist research? 2. A process of learning through association 3. The famous behaviourist who experimented on rats 4. A type of conditioning that involves association between stimuli 5. A type of conditioning that involves avoidance of pain or a reward 6. The behaviourist who experimented on dogs 7. A criticism of the behaviourist approach 8. A strength of the behaviourist approach

What have we been conditioned to think here?

What is Behaviourism? Aim: To revise the difference between classical and operant conditioning To evaluate the behaviourist approach

Key Words Behaviourism: human behaviour can be measured, trained and changed through conditioning. We only ever learn through experience. Changing behaviour through a training programme is called conditioning

Conditioning Classical: we act because we associate one thing with another. EXAMPLE: Operant: we act because we want to attain/avoid the consequences of what we do. EXAMPLE:

TASK: Types of Reinforcement Provides a feeling of satisfaction that increases the likelihood of the desired response being repeated – e.g. teacher praises you on a piece of work Positive reinforcement – The removal of an unpleasant experience to increase the likelihood of a desired response e.g. doing the washing up to stop your parents nagging! Negative reinforcement – ON THE BOARD – model this to explain A negative stimulus parents smacking their child. Punishment – 10

To study behaviour is OBJECTIVE. BEHAVIOURISM - WATSON “Give me a dozen healthy infants…and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become…a doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even a begger-man and thief”. WATSON (1878-1958) The CONSCIENCE cannot be studied reliably and cannot be meaningfully defined. It is subject to personal judgement and not SCIENTIFIC BEHAVIOUR, on the other hand, can be observed and investigated scientifically. To study behaviour is OBJECTIVE. Explain the personal opinion part – two separate psychologists could listen to a person sharing their feelings and come up with completely different conclusions. 11

Thorndike and the Law of Effect Watch the video and write answers about the following: (I will give you a minute) What is Thorndike’s beliefs about actions and rewards? What are Thorndike’s ideas about learning? CATS & THE PUZZLE BOX THORNDIKE (1874-1949) LAW OF EFFECT Events in the environment produce rewards for some behaviours and not others. Behaviours that produce REWARDS (escape) are repeated whereas behaviours that result in punishment are not (cats NOT escaping). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDujDOLre-8 Extension: Revision Tool – draw a picture of the LAW OF EFFECT 12

SKINNER AND OPERANT CONDITIONING Operant conditioning- Skinner (1904-1990) Learning is due to the consequences of our VOLUTARY BEHAVIOUR within our environment, more specifically, the consequences of our behaviour through positive or negative reinforcement and punishment BASIC ASSUMPTION: Consequences e.g. gaining rewards or receiving punishments, can modify and shape behaviour. QUICK TASK: SUMMARISE THIS IN NO MORE THAN 10 WORDS 13

Skinner Box Study What would an example of NEGATIVE reinforcement? By chance he presses the lever A hungry rat placed in a box with a lever which, if pressed, will release food. He performs various exploratory behaviours I’ll do that again What would an example of NEGATIVE reinforcement? A pellet of food appears! Is this a positive or negative reinforcement? Skinner would put a hungry rat in a box with a lever which, if pressed, would release food. This is an example of POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT – increased likelihood of a behaviour because something pleasant comes out of it 14

Classical conditioning Learning by association Learning is due to the association between a NEUTRAL stimulus (a stimulus which normally does not elicit a response e.g. a ringing bell) and a response which is UNCONDITIONED (a reflex, like salivating when you smell food). Pavlov (1849-1936)

Pavlov’s Dog Experiment

Pavlov designed an experiment to find out what was happening… Whilst researching the digestive system of dogs….Pavlov noticed something strange That’s a reflex What’s going on? Dog hears the lab technician Pavlov designed an experiment to find out what was happening…

How did Pavlov’s experiment work… Before conditioning Bell: Neutral stimulus (NS) Food: unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Salivation: unconditioned Response (UCR) During conditioning Bell: Neutral stimulus (NS) Pairing Food: unconditioned stimulus (UCS) Salivation: unconditioned Response (UCR) After conditioning Conditioning – creating the association, moulding and manipulating behaviour. Print this off for every student. Bell: Conditioned stimulus (CS) Salivation: Conditioned response (CR) 18

Skinner AIM: METHOD: CONCLUSION: EVALUATION:

Pavlov AIM: METHOD: CONCLUSION: EVALUATION:

Watson AIM: METHOD: CONCLUSION: EVALUATION:

Behaviourism Aim: To revise the difference between classical and operant conditioning To evaluate the behaviourist approach

Conditioning Classical: we act because we associate one thing with another Operant: we act because we want to attain/avoid the consequences of what we do.

Classical conditioning Group One Group Two Classical conditioning Operant Conditioning

Learning Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Learning through association of stimuli Operant conditioning learning new behaviours through the consequences of past

Behaviourism Psychodynamic Cognitive Biological Humanistic

Likelihood of repetition Operant conditioning “Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.” (B.F.Skinner) Behaviour Consequence Likelihood of repetition Reinforcement Punishment

Likelihood of repetition Operant conditioning “Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.” (B.F.Skinner) Behaviour Consequence Likelihood of repetition  Reinforcement Punishment

Likelihood of repetition Operant conditioning “Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences.” (B.F.Skinner) Behaviour Consequence Likelihood of repetition  Reinforcement Punishment

Operant conditioning Reinforcement Punishment A consequence that strengthens the behaviour that preceded it Punishment A consequence that weakens the behaviour that preceded it

John Watson and Little Albert (1920) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt0ucxOrPQE How did this experiment support the claims of behaviourism? Identify two ethical issues surrounding Little Albert’s experiences.

Pavlov’s Dog Experiment

Pavlov’s Dog Experiment METHOD: Pavlov tested the salivation reflex of dogs who would be given food after a bell was rung. The dog had a salivation device connected to its mouth. Sometimes they would not be given food after the bell had rung, but they salivated anyway when the bell was rung. RESULTS: the reflex of the dog could be changed according to the different stimuli (the sight of the food bucket or the sound of the bell). The reflex could not be controlled if the bell was rung to far apart from the food being served because the dog would not make the association Ivan Pavlov– a famous behavioural psychologist

B.F. Skinner – a famous behavioural psychologist “The Skinner Box” METHOD: a rat was placed in a box and would have to push a level when it wanted the food, which would appear. RESULTS: the food appearing would increase the likelihood of the rat pressing the level (positive reinforcement), whereas the food not appearing after the pressing of the level would decrease the rat’s pressing of the button (extinction) B.F. Skinner – a famous behavioural psychologist

“Describe and evaluate the psychological approach of Behaviourism” (12marks)

Describe and evaluate the behaviourist approach (12marks)

PAVLOV

OPERANT

FREUD

EXPERIMENT

FREE WILL

REDUCTIONISM

UNETHICAL

CONDITIONING

ENVIRONMENT

ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY

STIMULUS

SKINNER BOX

GENES